The NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition is convening and supporting disaster-impacted communities to ensure that federal disaster recovery efforts reach all impacted households, including the lowest-income and most marginalized people who are often the hardest-hit by disasters and have the fewest resources to recover.
Learn more about the DHRC’s policy recommendations here.
Hurricanes Laura & Delta
The Acadiana Advocate reports that months after Hurricane Laura, more than 2,000 evacuees remain in hotels provided by the government. State and federal officials report it will likely be spring or summer of 2021 before all of the storm survivors are moved out of hotels.
FEMA FAQ: Direct Housing Assistance for Hurricane Laura
Hurricane Michael
The Tallahassee Democrat reports that in Calhoun County, about 100 children are still homeless two years after Hurricane Michael. Families have struggled to weather the pandemic while still trying to recover from the hurricane. Many families did not have insurance when the storm hit and did not receive sufficient money from FEMA to repair or rebuild their homes.
Wildfires in the West
California
The Los Angeles Times reports that while California has received more than $1.3 billion in federal aid to rebuild after the 2017 wildfires, 2018 Camp fire in Butte County, and other disasters, survivors have yet to receive any assistance due to years-long federal and state bureaucratic delays.
Wildfire survivors in California counties approved for FEMA assistance have two weeks left to register for FEMA assistance. The deadline is December 16, 2020. FEMA announced that additional disaster assistance has been approved for nine California counties impacted by the September and October wildfires.
Oregon
Oregon legislators allocated $30 million to convert hotels and motels in eight wildfire-impacted counties into housing. Only 10 nonprofits or government agencies applied for the Project Turnkey funds by the November deadline. The foundation charged with distributing the money will continue to accept bids.
FEMA announced that while the deadline to apply for FEMA disaster assistance passed, some aid is still available for wildfire survivors in Oregon.